A girl is 5 ft 3 and wears a size 8....is that thin, heavy, normal or what?

[Bicoastal]

I'm casting a show, and...well, I simply can't tell from her head shot.

[elleng]

1. Slightly thin,

I think. When I was a 'girl,' I'd never even HEARD of size 8!

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. Non-anorexic

I refer to you to this thread with a photo of the lovely auntAgonist at size 8:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=337&topic_id=3497&mesg_id=3497

[auntAgonist]

58. I just saw this .. thank you very much.

:hug:

Your support is much appreciated.

kesha

[Firespirit]

3. Thin side of average

<-- 5'4", wears a size 4. Not anorexic by a long shot, though, just hypermetabolic.

She's lucky to be in a size that is always stocked.

[KitchenWitch]

4. A little thinner than average

I am 6'3" and am in a size 14 and could stand to lose about 10 pounds.

[unpossibles]

37. you're 6'3"?

that rocks!

[kath]

5. A girl or a woman?

[Madrone]

6. I'm 5'7 and an 8....

Not sure if that will help you or not. Women are DAMNED hard to guess body size based on size and or weight. I have a gorgeous friend that, while weighing the SAME as me, wears a size 5. I couldn't squeeze on a 5 if my life depended on it.

Anyway - I'm slim/average I'd say.

[Lorien]

60. I'm 5' 8" and a size 10. I consider myself 20 pounds overweight

though sadly I will never be smaller than a size 8. I was a size 7 at this height once, and I weighed 92 pounds! I think bone structure/ build and fitness level makes all the difference. Impossible to know a person's body type by height and weight alone.

[LeftyMom]

7. Hard to tell. Could be a bit on the curvy side, could be a bit pudgy.

Probably not significantly overweight, definitely not unusually thin, could be anywhere from proportionate to very hourglass figured to a really athletic build, maybe a bit "thick" but not fat.

[Rosemary2205]

8. I am 5' 4 - 130# - size 8 or 10

Age has caused some redistribution and I'm a more wide bottomed than I used to be even though I am lighter than I've ever been as an adult.

Take it for what it's worth.

[Skittles]

12. 1 am 5'4, 150 pounds and a size 7-8

strange, isn't it? I've kept my ass in check but it ain't easy. :(

[Cant trust em]

9. Women's sizes make no sense to me.

I guess this post is totally worthless.

[quakerboy]

48. Seconded

I mean... how can there be a 0? WTF is with that?

[drmeow]

10. Women's sizes range depending on brand

There have been times when I have had 3 different sizes in my closet, all of which fit me just right. Also, petites are a tad smaller than regular sizes. In general, a size 8 is about 36 - 37" bust, 24 - 28" waist, 37 - 38" hips.

[Dangerously Amused]

11. Impossible to tell what her body is like with those limited stats.

Depends entirely on her muscle/fat ratio & distribution, which can vary significantly from individual to individual.

Probably safe to say only that a woman with those stats would be considered neither extremely thin, nor extremely heavy.

[MissMillie]

16. yep

And I think also we need to clarify if we're talking about "thin" "average" "heavy" in terms of how she compares to other women or if we're using medical terms.

The "average" for a woman in terms of "mean" is 5'5" or 5'6" and size 10 or 12.

[Withywindle]

13. Sounds normal to me.

But clothing sizes are pretty much meaningless these days due to "vanity sizing" and all that crap. The clothes I wear range from size 2 to size 8 depending on brand, honestly. It's really annoying because I hate trying stuff on in stores. I miss the days when I could just grab'n'go. (I'm 5'6", weigh about 120)

[NewJeffCT]

14. did she tell you she was 5'3" and size 8?

That is probably fairly normal sized, but there is a lot of variety.

However, if she knows she is being cast for a show, she could very well really be 5'1" or 5'2" and a size 8/10.

[China_cat]

15. In today's perception?

Obese. At 5'3" she should be a size 0 or less.

[Phillycat]

17. I'm going to be in the minority, but that sounds on the heavy side.

Average to heavy. 5'3" is pretty short. To be height-weight proportionate, she should probably be below an 8 - more like a 4 or 6. MHO, ready for flames.

[RebelOne]

20. No, I am 5'3", weigh 140 and wear between a 10 and 12.

When I wore a 7 or 8, I was really skinny. It depends on your bone structure.

[Phillycat]

21. But 140 is on the heavy side for 5'3", isn't it?

I'm 5'7" and when I weigh 140, I am too heavy. :shrug:

[electron_blue]

22. but some women have more bone & muscle mass than others

[Phillycat]

23. Of course, but unless we're talking about Olympic athletes,

there is still a weight range per height, with definite low and high ends, into which someone might fit to be considered, say, thin, or fat, by society.

[electron_blue]

28. You'd be surprised. You don't have to be an olympic type athlete to be

on the slim side at 140 and 5'4". I know bcs I'm in that category. I'm 5'5, and am a size 6 at 150-155. My mom, however, at the same height as I, and when she's at 150, wears a size 12 in the same brand of jean that I wear a 6 in. Right now, she's 135 and she's still 1-2 sizes larger than I. I'm guessing I got my bones from my dad's side LOL.

I'm no olympic athlete, and in fact rarely do even an hour of exercise a week, but I do have big wrist circumference, big elbow joint (2 classic ways to estimate your frame size), and big feet! (size 10), plus when I did an underwater tank weighing a few years ago, I found out that I have ~20 lbs more muscle/bone than the average woman my height, weight and age.

[Shakespeare]

32. That's very true. My bones are apparently made of lead.

And I've got heavy muscle mass for someone my size (I'm not big/bulky at all); I'm also small-boned. Whenever I'm weighed at the doctor's office, the nurses are always surprised at my weight; I used to freak out about it, but a doctor finally explained that the bone/muscle thing can make someone's weight much higher than you'd think just by looking at what "size" they are.

You and I must have about the same "excess" in bone/muscle (same height, size, etc.); the only difference is my bone structure/frame (small feet, wrists, etc.).

[RebelOne]

33. I have a large bone frame and I am definitely not considered heavy.

[uppityperson]

54. Sizes mean little since there can be a lot of variation.

At 5'5" and 140 I wear 12-14 (but then I don't buy expensive clothes that are sized smaller).

It really depends on where the mass is, how the bones are. I got hips and top is small, so wear larger clothing and someone same height/weight with bigger boobs, smaller hips. Body shape can vary widely.

[NMDemDist2]

39. agreed. I am that height and when I was young and buffed an 8 would be too big n/t

[Iris]

52. It's within a normal weight range - bmi of 24.8

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

BMI Categories:

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

[crim son]

18. I was a size 6 - 8 for most of my life.

At 5'8" I'd say it's thin. At 5'3" I'm betting it's very average, neither heavy nor very thin.

[Maine-ah]

19. I'm 4'11", 124 lbs and a size 8

everyone tells me I'm tiny. I've dropped from 138 lbs since december. Losing the BB fat finally. But I haven't been under 125 lbs for years. I actually feel small.

[Arugula Latte]

24. How did you do that, Maine-ah, if you don't mind me asking?

:hi:

[Maine-ah]

53. I think because I stopped breast feeding BB in dec

my body doesn't need such a high caloric intake, and BB Maine-ah now runs instead of walks. I have also gone back to work full time nights waitressing and I run my ass off. :hi:

[Arugula Latte]

56. Ahhh... I remember that.

They say breastfeeding melts off the pounds, but I didn't exactly find that it did that for me. I DID find that an active toddler was what melted off a lot of my pounds back then, so I can relate to what you're saying.

Now I just have that stubborn five or ten pounds that won't leave. Oh well. Could be worse, I guess. :)

[grannylib]

25. I'm 5'6" and wear an 8-10, depending on brand, cut, etc.

Women's sizes vary SO much, and high-end stores "fudge" sizes so rich women can feel thinner *lol*

[auntAgonist]

26. I am 5'4" and I weigh 135lbs I'm a size 8

I'm fairly thin.

aA

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. normal to slightly plump.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. Pretty normal, maybe slightly thin

But it depends on the brand of clothing, too, because women's sizes are not consistent across manufacturers the way men's are. All you know is that larger numbers are bigger. :-)

[Taverner]

30. average

[Dora]

31. It's "normal" but you'll have to see her to understand.

You won't be able to tell how she "wears" her weight unless you actually see her. She may be thin, svelte, athletic, curvy, stocky... As far as the number is concerned, her weight is normal. Call her in for the audition or ask her for a body shot if you need to know more about her physique.

[Runcible Spoon]

34. why does it matter? does the part specifically need a thin/heavy girl?

you've got her size for costuming issues, why does your perception of how thin or fat she is matter? :shrug:

Don't have time to analyze it but this thread bothers me a bit.

[Dangerously Amused]

42. I don't get that part either.

If he is casting a show, he's going to see her at auditions. Nobody casts simply from a bio and a head shot.

[Bicoastal]

44. OK, since you guys are curious...

I'm a Masters Student at NYU, not a big-time director. As such, I only have the time and space to audition 15-20 girls out of a pool of about 50 resumes and headshots.

The girl in question looks believable as the lead from her head shot, but due to the fact that the character must be believable as the center of a love triangle and the object of desire for an older gentleman, I want her to be as attractive as possible while at the same time talented enough to pull off the role. This is the female LEAD. And I wouldn't have hesitated at all, except that on her resume, she put down that she was 5 ft 3, and a size 8.

And I don't know how dress sizes work at all--I don't care if she's stick-thin, slender, curvy, or what. I simply care if she's physically attractive. And to most audiences, that means a low BMI. One girl interested in the lead was 5 ft 4 and 180 pounds (MY weight), and I have to tell her no. Another girl looked beautiful in her everyday but so heavy in her studio shot I nearly tossed her aside before reconsidering. It's all terribly unfair and superficial, but that's show biz.

Anyway, based on your responses (honestly didn't expect this thread to go on as long as it did), I'll probably contact her for the audition.

[Dangerously Amused]

45. Uh oh.

:popcorn:

[Runcible Spoon]

46. well far be it for a MA student at NYU to challenge the shallow expectations of ideal body types

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[uppityperson]

55. Um, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If she's a good actor, she can pull it off.

[kath]

59. Sounds like these are WOMEN you're considering, not teenaged girls

[pitohui]

35. she's heavier than the "ideal"

that would be in the normal range for that height and clothing sizes in 1975 -- i could even wear some size 10s back in those days although it was indeed mostly 8s -- however, there has been considerable "grade inflation" in women's clothing sizes since then -- my height and weight are the same but now i'm wearing size 6 or sometimes even size 4 depending on the cut and style of the clothing (i even have a couple of size 2 items!)

i don't know the norm for casting but in the real world (such as dating) if someone sent only a head shot, you would understand immediately that they are a little heavy for their height, is it any different when you're casting?

[DS1]

36. weight is proportional to the angle of the myspace headshot

what? it's true.

[NMDemDist2]

38. i'm 5'3" and at my 'fighting weight' I wore 6s or sometimes an 8

but I am a curvy girl

[GreenPartyVoter]

40. Thin for your average girl, "heavy" for an actress by Hollywood's standards.

[soleft]

41. Is the role for someone stranded on a desert island with no food?

It's not so beyond average that I would think it would matter unless the for some reason the part required a really thin girl. She's probably very fit and healthy, which is something you want in a cast member. I once had to go dark for almost a while weekend because an actress came down with a stomach flu.

[Duppers]

43. normal

not too thin, not heavy.

[DBoon]

47. That's my wife!!!

She never told me she wanted an acting career!

(well actaully she is 5' 2" and is a size 8-petite)

[Iris]

49. Size 8 is meaningless - Don't head shots give measurements?

Sizing of women's clothes varies widely. There's a thing called "vanity sizing" which makes sizes smaller to make women "feel better" and that's where size 0 comes from.

You'll just have to call her in and figure it out for yourself.

[Genevieve]

50. I'm 5'2, 116 lbs and I wear a 2 or 4

I have a medium frame and my weight is normal. A size 8 would mean I'm a bit chubby,
but I am an inch shorter than the girl you're talking about.

[greenbriar]

51. I am five foot 3 and size 8

but have big boobs so I think I am heavy



look at my pictures on my cruise 2008 thread to see

[OhioChick]

57. Probably Pretty Normal...

I'm 5'7 and 115 lbs. and feel too thin. (size 2)

[yellowdogintexas]

61. I am 5/4 and mostly wear size 8 and I do not consider myself thin. Normal, maybe

I weigh 137 pounds which is slightly above the middle of the recommended weight range

now when I weighed 115 I was THIN.